South Bay Digest

R. H. Estates : Survey on School Uses

The City Council Tuesday reviewed the results of an advisory post card survey on ways to maintain park and recreational uses at the former Dapplegray Intermediate School but delayed action on the options until its Nov. 10 meeting.

The council passed a resolution urging the Palos Verdes Peninsula School District not to sell the site at 3011 Palos Verdes Drive North. The council prefers that the school district lease the property in case additional schools are needed in the future.

The council also asked City Atty. Richard Terzian to report back on the possibility of rezoning the land as agricultural, which would allow one unit per acre instead of the current two under the RA-20,000 zone. City Manager Raymond B. Taylor said the surrounding residential area is zoned either agricultural or RA-20,000.

Taylor reported that 1,065 residents--or 37%--returned the post cards, which were sent to each household in the city.

Of those, nearly 46% favored an agreement between the city and the school district which would set aside 10 acres for a city park in exchange for giving the district the right to develop the remaining 33 acres into 61 single-family homes.

Option No. 2, chosen by 7%, would enable the city to purchase 12.87 acres for a park at a cost not to exceed $450,000. The school district could develop the land but would have no guarantee of how many houses could be built there.

An additional 46% chose a third option--purchasing the entire 43 acres for $5 million under a special parcel tax.

About 52% said they would vote for a bond issue which would tax each parcel $185 per year for 30 years to pay for the land if it could be bought for $5 million.